Killing Me Softly
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: Kimberleigh's new boss isn't exactly the nicest of guys. In fact, he's pretty much the hardest guy to get along with... ever. But then she gets infected with a new bio weapon, custom mailed from Delphi, and her boss changes his tune a bit. Victor/OC


**Ok, sooooo... quick explanation. _Trauma Center_ is the only game I can find for my DS right now, therefore I've been playing it. And got back into it. And so decided to post the first chapter of this story.**

**And, um, don't worry... about chapter 4, it starts getting a bit more exciting. Promise.**

**... I love Victor... and Tyler... and, in UTK:2, Adel...**

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><p>Kimberleigh Stiles knew she wasn't going to make it in time. There was one thing her cousin Derek didn't count on when he recommended her for this job: her tendency to be tardy. She had eliminated all possible distractions and things that could take forever; her hair, for example. She had straightened it before bed and put it in braids, which she'd taken out and hastily combed through that morning. She had set the alarm clock half an hour early, which her mother used to do: "Calm down! We're not going to be late. I told you the wrong time on <em>purpose<em>."

But nothing worked. She had gotten distracted by listening to a bird out her window while she was dressing, killing a spider on the ceiling in her bathroom while she was combing her hair and brushing her teeth, and had been caught in the reminisce of a children's show she had watched as a kid.

And now she was racing to get to the building on time. She had to get inside, run through the halls to the research lab, and punch her card in all by seven in the morning. She'd gotten up at _five_, and it still didn't work. She was going as fast as her legs could carry her, heels clacking against the tile floor.

"Morning, Kim," greeted Tyler Chase cheerfully, waving at her. "I just made some coffee, you want any?"

"Sorry, Tyler!" she called over her shoulder as she sped past the blonde doctor. "I'm gonna be late, and if I'm late again, Dr. Niguel's gonna be pissed at me!"

"Hurry, then! Run like the wind, Kim!"

The next person who stopped her (screw it) was her own slightly older cousin, Dr. Derek Ryan Stiles. "Hey, Cousin Kimmy!" He grabbed her arm. "Where's the fire? You can talk to your cuz for a minute. I wanted to ask you how Aunt Marcia's doing, and-"

"I'm gonna be late, Cousin Derek!" She tore away from him. "If I wind up as a some sample that Dr. Niguel's peering at through a microscope, it's all your fault for holding me up! Bye!"

Angie came over and handed Derek a cup of coffee. "How's Kim doing on her third day?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Derek commented, taking a sip, "but I don't think she's quite getting the hang of it."

Meanwhile, Kim was still running as if all hell itself was hot on her heels. She could see the clock-in table for the R&D department, and hurried forward, a tiny spark of hope in her heart. The clock there still read seven... if she could make it...

She reached out and grabbed the card with her name on it. She shoved it into her slot...

Not two seconds after the clock turned to 7:01.

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at it. Almost not believing it, she hung her head in shame. "_NOOOOOO_! _I was so close_!"

As if on cue, Victor Niguel, her boss, poked his head out the door, scaring her half to death. "You're late again, Stiles," he told her in his usual freakish monotone. "Grab a lab apron and come in here for your goggles. I'm putting you on assignment." With that, the door shut.

Sidney Kasal, the director, was passing by, and had seen the entire thing. "How does he _do_ that?" Kim asked, pointing at the door where Victor had been not five seconds ago.

Sidney pushed his glasses up. "Victor's got ears like a bat, eyes like a hawk, and... if you want my opinion, the disposition of a piranha-shark crossbreed."

Kim pouted. "Why did Derek recommend me for research? He knows I don't like being cooped up all day!"

"Well," Sidney answered, "I assume it's because you're not a people person. Not good at dealing with people face to face."

She rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... I didn't think I was _that_ bad..."

"Do you like telling people they're going to die?"

"Of course not!"

"That's why Derek recommended you for the lab, then. Here at Caduceus, we have a lot of incurable diseases that have to be dealt with - and we have to tell the patient, of course, that it's not treatable... that they're going to die. If you couldn't handle that, your best place is in the lab, away from the patients and away from the heartbreak."

"I see. Thank you, Director Kasal. I'll get to work." She pulled her lab apron over her head and tied it in the back. She swore the thing was just a kitchen apron made of plastic with thinner strings. She walked inside the lab and saw Victor sitting at a lab table, with nobody else working - just him.

She sat down beside him. "What are we doing today, Dr. Niguel?" She decided to comment on the apron when he didn't reply. "You know, I like wearing this apron. It reminds me of the one my mom wears when she cooks. When I was little, she had one just like it that was smaller, so it fit me, and she'd let me wear it to help her. I think I still have it. And she still wears hers, it still fits, and whenever I go over to her house-"

"Damn it, you're distracting!" Victor slammed his syringe down and faced her. "Before we can even think about your work, Stiles, I need to talk to you about your habits."

"My... habits?" She raised an eyebrow. "Which ones specifically?"

"Your tardiness." He stood up, and migrated over to the sink, beginning to wash his hands. "Derek recommended you for a reason - and I'm not denying that you're a great researcher. You're pretty good. But you _seriously_ lack discipline. And you cannot - repeat, _not _- be a researcher without discipline. Now, your cousin's a decent guy. He's a brilliant doctor, good with kids, never gives up."

"I know, he's great and all-" she started, but was quickly interrupted.

"But don't you dare think for one second that I'm going to give you some sort of special treatment just because you're related to him. All my boys in this lab - they work their asses off. They have families, and sometimes they have to stay here all night because we're this close to perfecting something. Their families forgive them, and these guys show up to work exactly on time the next day, no matter how little sleep they get that night. Some of them need the overtime, and some of them work without overtime because they know how important it is to find cures."

She sighed. Well, he did have a point...

He grabbed a few paper towels and started drying his hands, turning back to face her. "This job is gonna knock you on your _ass_, Stiles. You are gonna come face to face with your breaking point a lotta times. But listen to me - you have _got_ to be able to push past that breaking point and set a new breaking point - one much farther. Okay?" He tossed the paper towels into the trash. "I know you may need this job, so... I'm giving you one last chance. I'm sorry, but if you're late tomorrow, or if you don't show up at all, I'll have to fire you."

Kim bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry. All of what he'd just said was completely true, of course. He was right. He was always right. He was her boss. She had to listen to him. "Understood, Dr. Niguel. I won't be late again."

"There's a good girl. Grab a pair of goggles from the sterilizer and come over here. The boys won't be here for a little while... so you're gonna have to do."

"Gee," she muttered, walking over and opening the sterilizer. "That was _almost_ a compliment."

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><p><strong>Like I said, you GOTTA love Victor. He's just so... VICTOR. There's nobody else like him! I must go and play the game and see his beautiful face!<strong>

**... Just as soon as my brother gives up the DS.**

**Well, this will get better in a few chapters, right now it's mostly exposition and setting out how Kim interacts with everybody before getting down to the real point of the story. Which is, of course, medical-based. And YOU'LL SEE~ It's not GUILT, I can tell you that much, but that's ALL I'M TELLING~**

**Hope you guys like and reviews would be much, MUCH appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


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